Deadline
by H.G. Stewart
Summary: There's more than one way to run out of time.
1. Chapter 1

_**It was a typical mid-summer's day in Hazzard County. The workday was long, the sun shone hot and a stray thunderstorm had left an outdoor sauna in its wake. It was just the type of day that would pack a place like the Boar's Nest to the gills, and Bo and Luke Duke went there intent on contributing to the packin'.**_

"Hey Luke, you know Uncle Jesse's gonna be mad when he finds out we ducked out of the chores to come to the Boar's Nest." Bo told his cousin after he had roared into the parking lot of the watering hole and they began sliding out of their beloved stock car, the General Lee.

"I'll take my chances." Luke replied, hitting the ground with his feet. "If I had my druthers, I'd work the field at midnight with a flashlight rather than take another minute of this heat."

"Me too." Bo had to agree.

"Besides, I doubt Uncle Jesse will even know the difference. He ain't been home enough to speak of in the last two weeks."

"I know. He's been gone so much I'm actually startin' to miss him. It's almost like he's gone on a trip or somethin'."

Luke nodded in agreement. "We'll get Daisy to fix him a sandwich while we're in there. 'Least it'll give us an excuse to go out and see him for a few minutes."

"But then he'll know we're not doin' chores!" Bo pointed out.

"I think he'll forgive us when he sees his lunch. You know how he likes those hero sandwiches."

Bo nodded and the pair headed inside the Boar's Nest. Once they entered, they were greeted with the roar of chatter and looked around in amazement. The crowd was so thick there was standing room only. Only those who were truly concentrating on hearing the song realized that 'The Devil went down to Georgia' was the current jukebox selection. Cigarette smoke filled the air as the locals, both sitting and standing, enjoyed drinks that were refilled by Daisy and even by Lulu, who had been commissioned by Boss Hogg to assist the slender brunette as she frantically tried to fulfill orders.

"Bo!"

Bo and Luke looked through the smoke for the source of the greeting and spied one of Bo's girlfriends, Becky May, waiving them over. Glad that she had managed to reserve a booth, they went to join her.

"Hey Becky." Bo announced, greeting her with a kiss on the cheek as he slid over in the rounded booth to make room for Luke. "Whatcha doin' sittin' here by yourself with all these people around?"

"Saving seats for Suzanne and Lily." Becky replied, looking toward the door in search of her girlfriends once again. "They's supposed to meet me ten minutes ago. I'm glad ya'll came along. I'm getting plenty of evil stares in having the booth to myself."

"Hey ya'll." Daisy announced, appearing at the table holding a tray with one hand and fanning herself with the other. "Ya want beers?"

"Yeah, and one for Becky May too." Bo replied.

"And a hero sandwich to go……for Uncle Jesse." Luke added.

"A hero sandwich?" Daisy asked. "Does that mean he's finally come home?"

"Not yet. Last time we heard anything from him he was over at the Sanderson place, and that was early this morning." Luke replied.

"Oh no, not the Sanderson place too." Daisy groaned.

"'Fraid so. George Sanderson's got three heifers sick. Even got a bull that's actin' peaked too."

Daisy shook her head. "I wish Doc Appleby could get on top of what's causing all the livestock around here to get sick."

"Me too." Bo agreed. "Don't look like we're gonna see much of Uncle Jesse until he does."

"What does sick cows have to do with not seeing Uncle Jesse?" A confused Becky May had to ask.

"Well, the livestock sickness has spread so quick that as soon as Doc Appleby started getting more calls than he could handle, he sent for Uncle Jesse to help him answer some of them. That's why we ain't seen enough of him lately."

"I didn't know Uncle Jesse was a veterinarian." Becky May mused.

"Well, he ain't officially, but there ain't many people that knows more about carin' for ailin' farm animals." Luke replied.

"I'll go get that sandwich." Daisy announced as another table summoned her for refills.

"Say fellas." Becky May began, turning to more cheery subjects. "Ya'll gonna be able to go to the Benson Barbecue this weekend?"

"Well I don't know." Bo replied, rubbing his chin with a sly grin. "Ain't nobody asked me yet."

"That's odd." Becky Mae replied mischievously. "I thought Bob Benson was a friend of yours."

"I meant nobody's asked me on a date there yet." Bo smirked as he turned his attention to Luke, who laughed in response to Becky's teasing. "You see, I was tryin' to be funny."

"Well you know what they say, if at first you don't succeed……" Luke teased with a grin.

"Oh very funny, Luke." Bo smirked.

"'Least one of us is." Luke smiled, sipping the beer Daisy had just sat in front of him.

"I'd love to go with you Bo." Becky Mae piped up, trying to ease Bo's unintentional temper as Daisy served his beer as well.

Turning back to look at her, he managed a smile. "Well great! What time you want me to pick you up?"

"Hey Becky." Daisy interrupted as she handed her a beer. "Suzanne just called. She wanted to let you know that she and Lily couldn't make it. Seems her Ma's got her at the house cannin' today and won't let her get away."

"Oh that's too bad." Becky May replied. "But thanks for letting me know, Daisy."

She sighed as Daisy disappeared into the crowd again. "Well since I've been abandoned, how about we discuss that pickup time while you drive me home, Bo?"

"Well that suits me just fine!" Bo grinned, all cheery again as he downed half the beer. "You ready Luke?"

"That depends. Am I gonna have to drive whilst you two sit in the back exchangin' saliva?"

"You might." Bo grinned.

"Then no thanks." Luke replied. "I think I'll just sit here and cool off by the air conditioner awhile. You can just swing back by and pick me up after you're done."

"Well gosh, Luke, you might be near froze to death by then." Bo replied, giving Becky a suggestive grin.

"Bo….." Becky Mae trailed off, a blush appearing on her cheeks.

"It better not be long. Remember? Hero sandwich? Uncle Jesse?"

"Oh yeah." Bo replied, his jovial grin disappearing. "C'mon Becky."

"See ya later, Luke." She added, pushing her untouched bear toward Luke before they made their way to the door.

XXXXXXXX

"I wish you could stay awhile." Becky May admitted when they were close to her house.

"So do I. But trust me, if you ever have to sit and listen to even one of Luke Duke's boring lectures on irresponsibility, you wouldn't blame me for hurrying back to pick him up."

Becky May giggled as she looked toward the house. Suddenly, the giggle- and grin- disappeared. "Bo, it looks like your Uncle Jesse is here."

"Well that's great!" He said, following her gaze. "I'll get to see him twice today."

"No, that's bad!" Becky May replied, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Why?" Bo asked as she bolted from the General just as soon as it has stopped.

But he quickly realized the answer when he saw her headed straight for the barn, yelling for her 'Ma' the whole way. A feeling of dread came over Bo as he remembered who was in that barn, and he began to run after her.

"Oh Ma!" Becky May sobbed when he arrived to find her seeking comfort in her mother's arms.

"Now dry it up Becky May." Her mother scolded, lifting her chin and wiping tears from her face. "Found her near death when I come out to pour her vittles this mornin'. Cryin' ain't gonna do her a bit of good no more."

Bo looked at his Uncle Jesse, who stood nearby with a black bag, watching the exchange. "Uncle Jesse, don't tell me it's Dorothy."

Jesse nodded. "Becky May's pet cow for ten years now, dead, due to this mysterious illness."

_**I betcha that right about now ole' Bo's wishing he'd hung out under the air conditioner too, don't you?**_


	2. Chapter 2

Jesse then turned his attention to Becky May's mother. "Sorry I couldn't get out here any sooner Phyllis."

"Well land sakes Jesse ya did more that was expected by gettin' out here as early as ya did." Phyllis replied. "Most folks is losing milkin' and meat cows. I'd say a person's wallet is a might more important than a pet."

"Seems that depends on who you ask." Jesse replied, watching as Becky May continued to sniffle in her mother's arms. Jesse looked at Bo and gave him a slight nod, thinking that his nephew might have some success in helping her to collect herself.

"Uh, c'mon Becky May. Let's take a walk over by the pond." Bo coaxed her.

Becky released her mother and took a moment to reach down and stroke Dorothy's head before she reluctantly allowed Bo to lead her away, turning to look at her pet until the cow was out of sight. No sooner had they left the vicinity of the barn than Mike, her older cousin, arrived in his pickup truck. Slamming his door, he reached into the back of the truck and extracted a shovel. Apparently Phyllis had made arrangements for Dorothy's burial before her daughter had even learned of the cow's fate. Becky knew then that when she returned home from her walk with Bo, all that remained of her pet would be the memories.

"Never mind Becky." Bo said, continuing to lead her away after having noticed Mike himself. "Just come with me and we'll go on that walk. I've got the whole afternoon."

"But what about Luke?" Becky May asked.

"Aw, he'll get a ride home with somebody."

"Won't you have to sit through one of those lectures you talked about?"

Bo managed a chuckle. "I doubt it considering the situation. But even if I do it's not that big a deal. I've sat through lectures for things that wasn't near as fun as spending a whole afternoon with a pretty girl."

The statement brought a small smile to Becky May's lips. Bo was encouraged by her reaction and wound an arm around her shoulder, hugging her close as they continued to walk around the pond.

XXXXXXXX

"Wanna dance again?"

"No, I think I'd just like to sit and watch awhile." Becky May replied the next night as she and Bo lounged on a picnic blanket at the Benson Barbecue.

Bo was just fine with that. He watched as their friends and neighbors participated in the square dance and held no envy whatsoever. Bo had always hated square dancing. Whenever he attempted to master it he would suddenly forget his left from his right and half the time his mind would draw a blank when it was time to do-si-do. Still, he had been ready to make the sacrifice if it would have contributed to Becky May's happiness. Fortunately she had been in a pretty good frame of mind despite the fact that her cow had only died the previous day.

"Hey Bo, Hey Becky." Kathrine 'Kat' Gilbert greeted them as she approached their picnic blanket, carrying a plate. "Why aren't ya'll eating? Bob's famous for his barbecues but I think he's managed to even outdo himself this year."

"We will." Bo assured her. "Just kinda takin' it all in right now."

"We only got here about fifteen minutes ago." Becky May explained.

"Well I wouldn't wait much longer than that to get over to the buffet table or it's liable to all be gone." Kat added. "If I were you I'd call Luke and Daisy and tell them they'd better high tail it on over while there's still food left."

"I don't think Daisy's coming. She had to work a late shift at the Boar's Nest, didn't she Bo?" Becky asked.

"That's right. And Luke, well, he ain't comin' either." Bo replied, immediately noticing the disappointed look on Kat's face.

Kat and Luke had a relationship that had been on again/off again over the last few months. While it was currently 'off', it was clear that Kat was ready for that to change. "Well why not?" She asked.

Bo shrugged his shoulders. "Said he was tired and didn't feel like it. Look, don't take it personal or nothin'. I don't think he figured on you bein' here anyway."

"Well, maybe I should go over there and set him straight on his facts." Kat mused, handing her half empty plate to Bo before she walked away. A few minutes later, the headlights of her car burned into the night as she started the engine and headed for the Duke farm.

"What do you reckon's gonna happen between them two?" Becky May asked.

"I don't know. Maybe we ought to head back to the farm ourselves." Bo chuckled. "It's liable to be a might more interestin' that what's goin' on here."

"Oh quit your teasing and let them be." Becky scolded him. "Besides, that plate you're holding is making me hungry."

"Me too." Bo replied, looking at the leftovers. "I might hafta go off my diet for awhile and eat two barbecue sandwiches!"

Becky May chuckled at Bo's joke, as there wasn't an ounce of fat on him. "Well I don't know if you need to lose any weight, but I'd appreciate it if you would steer clear of the barbecue all the same."

"What?" Bo asked in confusion.

Becky sighed. "Well Bo, it's beef, and…well…. with what happened to Dorothy yesterday….."

Bo groaned. The annual Benson cookout was an event that was anticipated weeks in advance by all of Hazzard County.

"Aww, Becky. It's barbecue, and this is the Benson _Barbecue." _He argued, acquiring a salivation usually gained by one who is presented with a forbidden food.

"Well….I know." She argued weakly. "But Bob's Barbecues are famous for more than just the meat. Everything always tastes superb, right down to the side dishes. So just for tonight Bo, for me, is that what we can do? Side dishes?"

Bo looked at her. Even though he sighed, he managed a smile. "Beans and coleslaw comin' right up."

_Ain't it funny what love can make a man do?_


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning dawned with the promise of a beautiful day. For Luke it seemed one he would spend with feelings that were an odd mixture of contentment and resentment. He was content because it was Sunday, and despite the ongoing problem with sick livestock, it appeared that his Uncle Jesse would be shunning work in favor of church…….. and time with his family…..at least until morning services concluded.

Which left resentment. This was as a result of his time with Kat the night before. After she had showed up on his doorstep, it seemed that their differences had melted away. They had talked over pieces of pecan pie before taking a hand-in-hand stroll down a country road. But it wasn't to last. Far too soon into their time together, Kat suddenly came up with one of her 'headaches'.

Luke thought and thought on their evening together, but danged if he could remember what he had done to upset her. The main reason their relationship couldn't be considered at all solid was because of Kat's famous headaches, which always seemed to crop up at the most opportune time….for her. She claimed they were migraines, but Luke always found it fascinating that these migraines would hit just as a situation or event that Kat found unpleasant occurred. Then as usual it was exit stage left, leaving Luke to either participate in whatever activity they had planned by himself or sit and figure out exactly what had happened.

"Well are ya gonna eat what's in front of ya and tell me about yer week or are ya gonna finish countin' the flowers in the tablecloth print?" Uncle Jesse asked, pulling Luke out of his thoughts and back to the present where he sat at breakfast with Bo, Daisy and Jesse.

"Sorry Uncle Jesse." Luke replied, hastily taking a bite of his pancakes. "Just thinkin' about last night. Kat had one of her headaches again."

"Another one?" Daisy asked, all too aware of the history of Kat and her headaches. "Well what did you do to the poor girl this time, Luke?" She teased.

"I dunno, that's what I'm tryin' to figure out." Luke replied.

"So you've got a mystery on your hands, huh? Seems I got one of my own this morning." Jesse announced. "It involves tryin' to figure out what's in that big white bowl in the refrigerator that I don't recognize."

"Oh, that would be Bob Benson's barbeque." Bo replied. "He knows how busy you and Daisy's been lately and asked me to bring it home for ya. He didn't want ya'll to miss out on any just 'cause Doc Appleby and Boss Hogg are workin' ya to death."

"I'm surprised any was left. You usually clean up on that stuff."

"Well there wasn't a whole lotta people there. Most folks was at home tendin' their livestock, I suppose." Bo theorized. "All the same, I didn't exactly get to clean anything up this time around. Becky May had a thing about not eatin' beef barbeque last night on accounta Dorothy. I ended up with so much beans and coleslaw on my plate that I don't see myself ever havin' the desire for either one again."

"Well Bo, that's the price of love." Uncle Jesse replied with amusement. "But none of the rest of us is in love so's we're gonna enjoy it. Hope ya thanked Bob for me."

"I did Uncle Jesse." Bo replied. "He said if he was to have any more left he'd bring it to you at church service this morning. I think he's hopin' you'll take it and make another batch of that barbecued beef chili."

"Oh." Jesse replied, as if he had remembered something. "Speakin' of church, I forgot to tell you, you ain't goin' today. I'm gonna send you boar huntin' instead."

"You are?" Bo asked, a slight look of surprise and a hint of excitement on his face. It was a rare occasion indeed for their Uncle Jesse to dismiss any of them from attending a church service. Bo had been raised in church, and while he considered going to services important, he would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that the occasional missed service could be considered a treat, especially when one was presented with an alternative activity such as boar hunting.

Jesse nodded. "The widow Schneider lost two of her three head of cattle this week. She's at her house frettin' somethin' awful about not havin' meat this winter, so I told her I'd send you out boar huntin' for her. I'd like you to get two, but it's gonna be hard to find 'em out and about in this heat. Might wanna pack up with the idea of bein' gone for a couple, three days."

That brought a smile to Luke's face as well. "Well, it's a shame we'll be missing all the exciting work on the farm, but for the widow Schneider, I think we can make the sacrifice, can't we Bo?"

Bo grinned. But before he had the chance to respond, Jesse spoke up. "Well I'm glad ya feel that way, Luke, 'cause it so happens that you won't be missin' any work on the farm. I still gotta help Doc Appleby till this animal crisis calms down and I don't see J.D. lettin' up on Daisy 'till folks are willin' to come out from under the air conditioner. I'm afraid things around here are all gonna fall on you until we can regroup."

XXXXXXXX

Later that afternoon, Luke was beginning to feel the effects of having the farm work to himself. As promised, Bo had packed Jesse's truck and was dispatched on his hunting assignment just after breakfast. Jesse and Daisy had joined Luke for church services, but because they were needed by Doc Appleby and Boss Hogg respectively, had left shortly after the conclusion.

Luke normally didn't do any type of work on Sundays, as respect for the fourth commandment was observed by all the Dukes. However even Jesse realized that this was a rule where a little bending was permitted. And in a place like Hazzard, where livestock equaled livelihood, bending had been temporarily allowed.

So this Sunday Jesse continued to work for Homer Appleby. They tended the livestock as best as they could while they hoped that the researchers at the Atlanta University, to whom Doc Appleby had sent a vial of an ill cow's blood, might successfully decipher the mystery of the illness. And while Daisy knew that her requirement to work was put into place by a greedy Boss Hogg, she also understood the importance of offering her neighbors, who were also doing what they could to keep their animals alive, a place to claim much needed breaks as well as decent meals. Bo also had work that was understandable, as anyone who knew the widow Schneider would realize. If she ever got her mind set to worrying about something, worry she would for as long as she could. Many feared that at her age, that worrying would lead her straight to her grave if there was not something done to stop it.

As for Luke, in the absence of his uncle and cousin, his was performing the work of three men. Without their help, he could never hope to keep up with everything unless he got a start right after church, expecting the work to take him well into the night and up before the crack of dawn the next morning.

As he worked in the barn, he continued to think about his time with Kat the night before. After two hours of work and thought had passed, he still was clueless as to how he had upset her. On more than one occasion he had started for the phone intent on ending the mystery and asking her flat out what he had done. In general Luke didn't have a problem with someone being mad at him, but if they were going to be, he at least felt as if he had the right to know why.

Finally that bit of logical thinking won him over and he headed toward the house, perhaps the eighth time, with the intention of calling her. As he walked out of the barn the journey was abruptly halted when a familiar blue pickup truck entered the yard.

Moments later Sam Gilbert hopped out and walked briskly toward him. Luke was immediately uneasy. Kat's father was usually a quite, calm man. He was definitely out of character.

"Why haven't you answered the phone? The C.B.?" He demanded, his face inches from Luke's.

"I…I've been out in the barn all day." Luke stumbled in reply, still shocked by Sam's attitude. "I've been……"

"Ain't got time to hear about that. I just wanna know what happened between you and Kat last night."

Luke was confused. "Nothin' that I know of. Why? Is she missin' or somethin'?"

"Where'd ya'll go? What'd ya'll do?" Sam insisted.

"Mr. Gilbert, what's wrong?" Luke asked.

"Kat…." He continued. "Is near dead in the Tri-County Hospital!"

_All things considered, don'tcha reckon Luke can quit worryin' about what he might have done to upset Kat?_


	4. Chapter 4

"The hospital?" Luke asked in shock. "Why? What happened?"

"That's what they're tryin' to figure out." Sam replied. "That's why I been tryin' to get ahold of ya, to figure out what she's doin' 'fore she took ill."

"Nothin' really." Luke replied. "We just had a piece of pie and then went on a walk."

"She git bit by somethin'?" Sam insisted.

"Not that I know of."

"Was there elderberries in that pie?"

"No, it was pecan."

"Then it ain't an allergy." Sam mused. "If ya think of anything let me know. I gotta git on back there, just came out to see if ya knew anything since I couldn't get ya on the phone." He threw out as he hurried back to the truck and got in.

"Wait Mr. Gilbert I'll go with you!" Luke yelled out as Sam started the engine. "Mr. Gilbert!" He yelled one more time as Sam, oblivious to his calls, simply switched over to drive and sped away as dirt and rocks flew out from under his tires.

Luke took a brief moment to consider the farm before he realized that there wasn't anything he was absolutely required to do before he abandoned it. Jumping into the General Lee, he gunned the engine and took off in the same direction as Sam had gone.

He was a few miles away from the farm when he nearly sideswiped Uncle Jesse, who was driving Daisy's jeep in the opposite direction. When Jesse successfully regained control after steering haphazardly to avoid the collision, a stern look appeared on his face as he reached down for the C.B.

"Lost sheep, have you gone plumb loco? You 'bout killed me back there!"

"Sorry Uncle Jesse. I'm on my way to the hospital." Luke replied.

"The hospital? Whatsa matter?" Jesse insisted.

But Luke didn't answer. Spotty afternoon thunderstorms were approaching, minimizing the quality and availability of C.B. reception. Luke hadn't heard him, but Jesse didn't realize that. He assumed the silence meant that Luke was in some sort of dire straits himself, perhaps having suffered an accident on the farm. With no way of getting any information, he swung the jeep around, intent on following his nephew.

He felt relief when he arrived at the hospital fifteen minutes later and spotted Luke demonstrating a fair amount of health as he dashed up stairs two at a time that led from the parking lot to the emergency room entrance. But that relief was quickly spent when he looked around the lot and spotted vehicles belonging to many of their friends. Putting his truck in park, he got out and walked quickly as he made his way to the entrance.

Once he was inside he spotted Luke, who had paused at the doorway leading into the emergency room waiting area. Jesse approached his nephew and laid a hand on his shoulder, commanding his attention.

"Luke, what's wrong?" Jesse asked.

"It's Kat." Luke swallowed. "Sam come by the house a little while ago and said she's pretty bad off."

"What's wrong with her?"

"I dunno." Luke replied. "I don't even think the doctors know anything yet, accordin' to what Sam said. But I mean, look in there Uncle Jesse. The room's half full of our friends and neighbors. She must really be bad off for 'em all to come out and support Sam like this."

Jesse patted him on the shoulder. "Well let's see what we can find out."

Jesse led him into the room, both of them offering nods to some of their friends and relatives. As they approached Sam, Cooter spotted them from where he sat and quickly stood up.

"Uncle Jesse, Luke." He said, simply greeting them as he maintained a serious expression on his face. "I hope you're not about to tell me that you're here on account of Daisy or Bo gettin' sick too."

Jesse looked at him with his brow furrowed in confusion. "We just come out to offer our support to Sam. Isn't that why you're here?"

"Yep. But it ain't just Sam needin' support. There's also Mary Lou, Benjamin, Ned and Polly."

Luke arched his eyebrow in response and looked around the room. The people Cooter had named off sat with other members of their families, weeping and worrying. It was in that instant that he realized they weren't all there to support Sam. Sam, as a matter of fact, sat mostly to himself in the corner.

"What's goin' on?" Luke had to ask.

Before Cooter had a chance to respond, there was a commotion in the hallway. "Code Blue, code blue!" A nurse shouted out as a patient was being wheeled down the hall, the doctors and nurses working on him even as they ran. "What's his name?" One of the male nurses shouted out.

"Bob, Bob Benson." Another nurse replied.

"Bob, can you hear me?" The nurse then asked as they continued out of earshot.

"Bob Benson?!" Luke exclaimed.

"Then it must be true." Cooter theorized, wide eyed from shock. "Doc Appleby just left from in here right before ya'll came in. He said somethin' about the meat."

"What are you talkin' about?" Jesse asked.

"Well, everybody that's back in emergency, they's all at that barbecue last night, Uncle Jesse, all with the same symptoms." Cooter explained. "They all started off with a headache that turned into somethin' fierce and they started goin' downhill from there. The doc's thinkin' that Bob mighta sent a sick cow off to the slaughterhouse without realizin' it."

"Bo!" Luke immediately exclaimed. "He's at that barbecue too!"

"Just relax Luke." Jesse replied. "Becky had him eatin' beans and coleslaw, remember?"

Just then, the three men heard a cry come out of the corner of the waiting room. The looked over to see Sam bent over and sobbing, a doctor with a hand on his shoulder. As several of their friends got up to comfort him, Luke and Jesse quickly realized that during the time they had been watching the dramatics with Bob unfold, the doctor had entered the room, unfortunately with terrible news to deliver.

Luke's immediate reaction was to bolt from the room. Jesse, who was worried about his nephew, took a moment to ask Cooter to deliver his condolences to Sam before he bolted after him. Considering what had happened with Kat, Jesse expected Luke to run back to the General and take off to unknown destinations. Luke always drove when tragedy struck and he needed some time to collect himself. It was his outlet.

Which is why the elder Duke was surprised when he went a short way down the hall and, instead of hearing the screeching of tires as the General tore out of the parking lot, he spotted Luke with his head pressed against a wall instead.

"Luke? Luke you alright?" Jesse asked, laying a hand on his shoulder again.

"No." Luke admitted. "Uncle Jesse, look at all those people in there. If Polly's here, that means Eric's bein' treated. Eric and me have known each other since we's kids. And Benjamin….you know he's gotta be here with Samantha. Samantha was the first girl I ever kissed. And Kat, if she just died, then that most likely means the rest of them just might…….." He trailed off as a lump formed in his throat. He then spotted a payphone nearby and deposited a coin before he began to dial.

"What are you doin'?" Jesse asked.

"I'm calling Daisy at the Boar's Nest, tellin' her to warn everybody that was at that barbecue about what's goin' on here at the hospital." Luke replied. "From the way it looks, if they ain't sick yet they sure as heck better get here before they are."

As soon as he had spoke, the phone at the Boar's Nest was picked up. "Boar's Nest." The cheery voice sang out.

"Linda, it's Luke Duke." Luke announced, speaking to the temporary waitress Boss had hired to help combat the recent crowds. "Put Daisy on the phone for me."

"Oh I'm sorry Luke, but she's not here." The waitress replied. "For some odd reason we're havin' a slow day today and the Boss said since she'd been working so much overtime, that I could handle things myself. Tom Dewberry took her home."

"I have a feelin' I know why it's slow." Luke replied. "Me and Jesse's over here at Tri-County and there's a whole mess of people in the emergency room that's sick from eating that meat at the Benson Barbecue last night. Spread the word to whoever may have been there that if they had any of it, they'd better high tail it to the emergency room no matter how good they may feel. It's a serious situation."

"Oh I certainly will, Luke." Linda replied in horror. "Does Daisy know about this yet?"

"No she don't. We just found out about it ourselves."

"Then Luke, you've got to get to her! As she was going out the door, she was saying something about going home to eat some of Bob's leftover barbeque!"

_**If someone had said there's a killer at the Duke farm, the last place you'd expect them to look would be in the 'fridge, ain't it?**_


	5. Chapter 5

"You sure about that Linda?" Luke asked, an uneasy feeling coming over him.

"I'm positive Luke." Linda replied.

Without waiting for further confirmation, Luke hung up the phone before he picked it right back up and started dialing again.

"What's goin' on?" Cooter asked, having just approached the Dukes once again.

"That's what I was about to ask." Jesse replied.

"It's Daisy." Luke muttered as he dialed the number of the Duke farm. "She's on her way home. Linda said she'd mentioned something about eating that barbecue once she got there."

Jesse's eyes widened at the revelation. "You stay on the phone and see if you can get ahold of her. Cooter, come with me. We'll get on the C.B. and see if we can find her that way."

As Cooter and Jesse dashed out the door and to the C.B.s that were in their vehicles, Luke listened to the phone ring at the Duke farm, muttering for Daisy to pick up the whole time. After eleven rings he hung up and dialed the Boar's Nest again, intent on asking Linda if she would keep trying to reach Daisy on the phone while he would try to get there himself in the General Lee. However his instruction to spread the word about the illness had been taken seriously. All he got was a busy signal as Linda kept the line hot in making as many notifications as possible.

Knowing that time was a precious luxury, he hung up the phone and made a mad dash outside, hoping that Jesse or Cooter had some luck in reaching her.

But he had no way of immediately knowing. It was raining, a hard rain that would have drove everyone indoors. Luke peered through the parking lot in search of the jeep and the tow truck, but both vehicles were gone. Luke assumed they had made the decision to make those C.B. calls as they headed toward the farm themselves and he jumped in the General Lee intent on doing the same.

It was a very stressful ride back to the farm and it immediately began when Luke left the hospital parking lot. Chickasaw County was crowded when one compared it to a place like Hazzard, and that crowd meant more traffic to interrupt Luke's trip home. Add to the fact that half the motorists seemed scared to death to face a downpour behind the wheel of a car, Luke found himself stuck in traffic that was literally inching forward.

As he more or less sat in traffic, he continued to try to get Cooter, Jesse, Rosco, anyone he could on the C.B. But the thunderstorm only made a bad situation worse. The only person who picked up his pleading voice was a local Chicasaw old timer who was sympathetic enough to listen to his story and offer to call Rosco on his behalf. But by the time Luke had cleared the traffic and was barely inside the Hazzard County line, the stranger contacted him once again with apologies, saying that all he got when trying to phone Hazzard was a busy signal.

It was obvious that the notification Luke and, perhaps by now, other people who had been at the hospital had sent out was making the rounds in Hazzard. Luke only hoped that that news would reach Daisy's ears. Without much hope of reaching the farm, he attempted to call Tom Dewberry, the Duke family friend who was supposed to be taking her home. He had hoped that they might still be in the car between the bar and the farm, but just as with everyone else, the thunderstorm made the task of reaching Tom impossible.

As Luke drove through the countryside he jumped creeks and other obstacles, hoping that the General wouldn't sink into mud that had been introduced by the downpour. By now, he thought, Jesse and Cooter had had enough time to reach the farm. He only hoped it wouldn't be too late.

But that theory was lost as soon as he looked ahead through his wipers. On the side of the road was Daisy's jeep, and just pulling away from it was Cooter and Jesse in the tow truck. Luke wasn't sure if the jeep had broken down or, despite the fact that it was built for rough handling, had somehow got stuck in the mud, but either way it was being abandoned, Cooter having paused long enough to pick up Jesse before they continued toward the farm.

This put even more determination in Luke. Increasing his speed and managing to bypass Cooter, he found more ramps and made several jumps, getting to the farm as quickly as possible.

When he made it to the farm, he slammed on the brakes, the General sliding haphazardly in the yard. As he climbed out, he only took a brief moment to recognize the position of the car. Had it slid another foot, Luke would most likely have had to rebuild a portion of Jesse's porch.

"Daisy!" He yelled out as he threw open the screen door. Not slowing a bit, he then threw open the kitchen door and spied Daisy sitting at the table in front of a plate, with a forkful of barbecue in her hand!

As Jesse and Cooter pulled up outside, Luke rushed over and slapped the fork away from her hand. He then picked up the china plate from in front of her and deposited the whole thing directly in the trash can.

"Luke what are you doing?! Are you crazy?!" Daisy exclaimed.

Luke reached down and took her arm, pulling her into a standing position. "Did you eat any of that barbecue?"

"What?"

"Did you eat any of that barbecue? Even one bite?" Luke insisted as his uncle came in the house.

"No, not yet." Daisy replied, wide eyed at the way her normally mellow cousin was acting.

"Are you sure? Are you positive?" Jesse then asked.

"Yes I'm positive."

Luke then dropped her arm. "Go in the bathroom and wash your hands."

"Why?"

"Because it will make me feel better, okay? Just go in the bathroom and wash your hands."

Daisy looked at the three men and their determined expressions. "Alright, Luke." She relented, going to the bathroom.

As soon as she was out of the room, Luke managed to breathe a sigh of relief before he picked up the discarded fork and tossed it into the trash before grabbing a paper towel. He then used the towel to pick up the meat that had been on the fork. As he was throwing that away, Jesse was extracting the bowl from the refrigerator that held the remains of the uneaten meat and tossed the entire container on top of the plate and fork of which Luke had unmercifully disposed.

As soon as they had finished, Daisy returned to the room as she dried her hands. "Okay you three, now do I get to hear what is going on?"

Luke turned to face her cousin, unable to help but take her in a hug. "Promise me one more time that you didn't taste that meat."

"I will if you promise to let me know why it's so important that I didn't." Daisy replied as they released each other from the embrace.

Luke then went on to explain to Daisy about how numerous barbecue attendees lay near death at the Tri-County hospital and how it was the doctor's theory that an ill cow may have been inadvertently slaughtered for the feast.

Just as Daisy was taking in all in a car came to a screeching halt outside and they heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Seconds later, the door opened and there stood Linda, Daisy's friend and temporary co-worker from the Boar's Nest.

"Oh Luke, Jesse." She said, heavy breaths indicating that she had been moving at a rapid pace. "I'm so glad you made it. You didn't eat any of that barbecue, did you Daisy?"

"No, seems Luke made it here just in the nick of time." Daisy replied, giving Luke a smile.

"Oh good. I tried to get you on the phone several times but eventually I got so worried that I just decided to drive here instead." She paused and looked around the room before adding. "Mary Roper called from the hospital just before I left. It seems that Bob Benson's passed away too."

"Dear Lord." Cooter mumbled, pulling out a chair at the table and taking a moment to grasp the situation.

"Sad, isn't it?" Linda said. "You know, this is the first year I haven't cursed myself for being allergic to Bob's barbecue sauce. It looks like it may just have saved my life this time around."

As everyone nodded, she then asked. "Bo was at that barbecue. How's he holding up?"

"Oh Bo's fine. Becky May made him stick to beans and coleslaw on accounta her cow, Dorothy." Jesse explained.

"But he did have barbecue." Linda announced.

"No, he didn't eat any meat." Luke replied, although the look on Linda's face gave him an uneasy feeling.

"He may not have had any in front of Becky May, but he did have some." Linda replied, cringing as she delivered the bad news. "Luke, he may not have put any on his plate, but I was standing right next to him at the buffet when I saw him sneak a couple of bites!"

_**Well, sad to say, but it sounds like ole' Bo may have bit off more than he could chew.**_


	6. Chapter 6

As the family and Cooter remained silent for a few moments, Linda became concerned. "Bo's not been actin' sick, has he?"

"Well that's just it, Linda. We don't know." Jesse replied, coming out of his shock. "Sent him out on a huntin' trip early this mornin'. He's been gone all day."

"Oh I'm so sorry, Uncle Jesse. I didn't mean to get you all worried." Linda apologized.

"Oh no, no, don't apologize, Linda. I'm glad you told us." Jesse assured her.

While they spoke, Luke walked to the C.B and tried to call Bo to no avail. He didn't expect much luck in that respect anyway. Even if the reception had been clear enough to get a call out, he seriously doubted that Bo would be anywhere near the vicinity of Jesse's truck considering how long he had been gone. With that in mind he then turned his attention to the living room and the telephone that sat on the side desk. He picked it up and tried repeatedly to contact Mabel, but had no way of doing so as the Hazzard phone lines remained maxed out.

"Oh Luke, do you think Bo could be sick? He was alright this morning." Daisy worried.

"I dunno. It doesn't sound like he ate a whole lot, but considering what's goin' on over at Tri-County, I'm afraid to take any chances."

"And we won't. But the only problem is we ain't too sure where he decided to go." Jesse replied, pointing at Luke. "You go check them woods up on Henderson Ridge and then around Carter's Lake. Me 'nd Cooter will check that spot where we used to go hunting back on Jeb Wilson's property and then swing by that old cemetery in the woods where Summerour Church used ta sit 'for it burned. Daisy, I want you to ride with Linda here back to the Boar's Nest. When ya git there, I want ya to get anybody who will ta get out and help us look for him. Everybody keep the C.B.'s on 96. Nobody hardly uses that station anymore. Hopefully these storms 'ill clear on out in a little bit so we can talk to each other."

XXXXXXXXXXX

"What's the update, Bo Peep?" Luke asked a little while later, speaking into the C.B. as he drove the General.

"Well we had a little luck, Luke." Daisy replied from the passenger's seat of Linda's car as her friend raced down a dirt road herself. "Emery Potter was there and said he'd go check for Bo over around Catfish Marsh. And John Cagle promised that he would check in the vicinity of Jack's River."

"Is that all the help you could find?" A disheartened Luke asked.

"Well, Miz Tizdale was on her way to the post office for inventory and said she would let us know if he came in for any mail." Daisy replied, trying to offer Luke a bit of comical relief in the serious situation.

"I'm serious Daisy. What about Boss? Couldn't you talk him into sending Rosco or Enos out to look for him?"

"Oh I talked to him about it all right." Daisy replied, her voice becoming a bit strained. "He said the only way he would send anybody out to look for Bo would be to bring him to jail. Something about him speeding through town this morning."

That statement was enough to bring a frustrated Jesse on the line. "I don't care where he wants to bring Bo, he needs to have Rosco out lookin' for him!"

"I agree Uncle Jesse. But in all honesty I don't think there's anything Boss could do right now. John Cagle told me that Rosco and Enos are workin' overtime acting as ambulances as more people that was at that barbecue are winding up sick."

"Then it really don't sound good for Bo." Jesse muttered. "Any chance you made it to Henderson Ridge yet, Luke?"

"I did, Uncle Jesse. 'Fraid the truck wasn't there. I'm on my way to Carter's Lake now."

"What about you, Bo Peep. What are you up to?" Jesse continued.

"Me and Linda are headed over to the Frothy Camp on the off chance that he might have stopped and visited Tommy on his way out……maybe told him where he was going."

"Good idea. Hadn't thought of that angle." Jesse replied.

"Jesse this is Emery Potter." A voice announced as it came on the line. "Nothing at Catfish Marsh. Deer Creek falls is just a couple of miles from here. I'll check there next."

"Thanks Emery. John Cagle, you out there? Any luck on Jack's River?"

"Oh Jesse!" A flustered John came back on the line. "I'm sorry I didn't call ya'll. I aint' thinkin' too straight right now."

"Why, whatsa matter John?"

"It's Emily." A stressful John replied, speaking of his teenage daughter. "Emma Lou just called and said she was taking her to the hospital. She's showing signs of the illness as well."

"Emily?" Daisy asked. "I thought you told me she hadn't gone to that barbecue. Something about her bein' grounded."

"She was, but apparently that didn't stop her from sneaking out with that boyfriend of hers." John muttered. "But anyway, Jesse, your truck _was_ parked up on Jack's River. I had just found it when Emma Lou called me and I plumb forgot to call ya when I heard about Emily."

"Well listen John, you've been a big help." Jesse replied as virtually everyone in the search party made their way to Jack's River. "You go on and be with Emily and we'll get on up to the river and look for Bo. We'll be prayin' for ya."

"Thanks Jesse." John replied, still sounding stressed.

"Emery, if you can hear me you go on to the hospital and be there for John. I think me, Luke, 'nd Daisy can take it from here."

"Okay Jesse. Just call if you need me anymore." Emery replied.

Further instructions were not necessary for the rest of the party. They knew where Jesse's truck was now and everyone had a common goal: to get to Jack's River.

It wasn't long after Jesse and Cooter had pulled up beside the pickup truck that the General Lee was parking on the opposite side. Daisy and Linda, who had fell victim to a flat tire at the most inopportune time, was some five miles behind practicing their finest pit crew skills. When he had learned of their predicament Cooter briefly thought of turning around to help them. However knowing that the girls were experienced in changing tires and realizing that the situation with Bo could be urgent, he reluctantly left them to handle things themselves.

Luke quickly exited the General and ran over to the truck, flinging the door open. He wasn't sure if the fact that Bo and his gear wasn't in there made him feel any better or not. On the one hand it meant that Bo had been well enough to forge ahead with his hunting plans. On the other hand, it could mean that he had only felt well enough to go to unknown destinations in the woods and collapse, waiting to be found.

The three men forged ahead for quite a while until they reached Jack's River. Assuming that Bo may have set up a camp near the water, they decided to split up. Cooter and Jesse decided to go left while Luke headed toward the right. The plan was to meet back in that spot in twenty minutes whether they found anything or not.

But the trio had to wait scarcely more that twenty seconds. No sooner had they split up to take their separate routes that Luke rounded a large tree and saw something just ahead. It was a bright yellow color, one that looked out of place in a summertime wood.

However, the shirt in question did not look at all out of place as it enveloped the motionless body of Bo Duke.

_**I hope ole Luke ain't seein' what I thought he saw, don't ya'll?**_


	7. Chapter 7

"Bo!" Luke yelled, running toward his cousin as fast as he could.

Rotting leaves made wet by the recent thunderstorm slipped under his feet and hidden branches attempted to trip him up, but amazingly, he was able to keep his footing.

When he reached his cousin, he found him soaking wet but otherwise breathing rapidly and was glad to see that he was still alive. "Bo." He whispered again, pulling him off of his side and propping his back up against a tree. "Dear Lord, you're burning up." He said, noting his red cheeks and feeling his forehead.

"How is he? How is he?" Jesse demanded as he and Cooter caught up to the pair. Jesse quickly knelt down and felt Bo's forehead, gasping when he felt his temperature and noted the way he was breathing. "How long you been like this, boy?"

"I….I wanna go home Randy." Bo replied, to which the rest of the group looked on in confusion as he mentioned the name of an old childhood friend. "I'm tired. We can... finish buildin' the fort tomorrow."

"He's delusional." Cooper announced in concern.

"It's the fever." Jesse replied. "Let's get him in the river, fast."

After the long, worrisome day none of the men were in fantastic shape, but together they managed to hoist Bo up and carry him a few feet away, lowering him into the river that was kept icy cool by the mountains on even the hottest of days.

Despite the fact that he was weak and incoherent, Bo managed to put up a small fight in protest to the cold water. "Settle down, boy. We gotta do this." Jesse argued, realizing that Bo tended to take the shivers when he was feverish. To him, the dunk seemed to make a bad situation worse.

Luke watched Bo as he was held in the water. Jesse had made sure that he was positioned so that every part of him except his face was immersed, even managing to tilt his head back to include his forehead.

"Jesse, we gotta get him outta here. Gotta get him to the Doc." Luke insisted.

"We can't take him no where till his fever drops. It's about enough to kill him in itself." Jesse whispered, grateful they had found the youngest Duke when they did. In Jesse's opinion, he wouldn't have lasted like that much longer. Looking at Bo immersed in the water, he gave him a simple command. "Fight it, boy."

As Luke watched the situation unfold, he thought back to the other victims of the tainted meat and realized that Bo was in very serious trouble. Not even realizing that he had began to get misty, he instinctively brushed the back of his hand across his cheeks.

"Hold him, Cooter." Jesse requested, indicating that he wanted the mechanic to come and hold Bo's head out of the water. Once Cooter did so, Jesse rose from the creek and, grabbing his other nephew, led him a short distance away.

"Pull yourself together." Jesse insisted as Luke blinked in surprise. "We can't have Bo seein' us panic right now."

"I didn't even realize I had done it." Luke replied, takin' a deep breath. "Dear Lord what are we gonna do, Jesse? First Kat….then Bob Benson. Who knows? There may have even been more pass on since then that we don't know about yet!"

"Now just calm down." Jesse ordered him although he, fighting his own panic, struggled to identify valid reasons for staying calm. "They said Bo only had a couple bites of that stuff, right? And….and he's young, and strong. If anybody can fight this thing off, it's him."

"If." Luke simply replied, realizing the strength the relatively small word held in this situation.

"I think he's finally startin' to cool down, Jesse." Cooter announced from the river as Bo, despite his illness, showed subtle signs of improvement.

The Duke men rushed back over, where Jesse pulled Bo's head out of the water to determine his current temperature.

"You're right." Jesse replied, returning Bo's head to the care of Cooter. He then commenced to undoing his overalls.

"What are you doing, Uncle Jesse?" Luke asked.

"Takin' off my shirt." Jesse replied, removing his red shirt, leaving only the white undershirt behind. "You two take yours off too. I want ya'll to wet all three of 'em down. We'll need all the cool cloths we can get to keep Bo's fever under control whilst we get him outta here."

Cooter and Luke did as Jesse instructed. Then, with their combined strength, Bo was lifted out of the creek and onto the ground. Cooter's saturated shirt was immediately wound around Bo's head while Jesse's and Luke's were placed beneath Bo's shirt in bunches at his armpits.

"How far out are we?" Luke then asked, his concerns having been more with finding Bo during their original trek through the woods and not with distance.

"About a mile." Cooter replied, taking note of the rapidly darkening sky. "And I hate to lay any more on ya, but we ain't gonna git outta here before dark."

Luke and Jesse looked up in the sky themselves, both of them surprised to see that much more time had passed than they realized.

"Bo's backpack." Luke then said, nodding toward the discarded sack. "He'll have a flashlight in there."

Cooter grabbed the backpack and reached for the flashlight that was stowed on the outside in a holding strap. Giving it a flick, he groaned when he saw there was no light in response.

In frustration, Luke grabbed the flashlight from him and flicked it himself. "Dead." He said simply, seeing the cracked casing and realizing that it must have suffered damage in Bo's fall.

Just then, Bo began showing heavier signs of illness once again. When Jesse examined his nephew, he realized that the benefits of the cool water dunk didn't last long once he was out of the creek. His fever was going back up.

"Help me git him back in the creek." Jesse ordered.

"We ain't got time for that!" Luke exclaimed.

"We ain't got time not to do it." Jesse insisted, attempting to drag Bo himself. Seeing Jesse struggle, Luke and Cooter moved to help him.

Once Bo was reimmersed, Jesse looked at Luke. "I'll stay here with him." Jesse said, turning to look at Cooter. "I want you two to git back to the truck just as quick as ya can, 'fore it git's dark. Get to Daisy, tell her what's goin' on and tell her to git to the Boar's Nest and load up on all the ice she can git and git it back here. In the meantime you two find a stretcher and any help you can git. It's gonna take more than three men to git Bo outta here when we cover him in all that ice."

"But Uncle Jesse, we won't never find you again in the dark!" Luke insisted, knowing that night would fall on his Uncle and cousin without benefit of them having any sort of light.

"You'll find me. It's the best thing we can do for Bo right now." Jesse insisted. "Now time's a wastin'."

Worried about the whole situation, but realizing that Jesse was probably right, Luke couldn't resist taking the time to give his Uncle a quick hug. Then, patting Cooter on the shoulder, he ran off along with the mechanic into the rapidly approaching night.

_**Seein' all this is 'bout enough to make a man turn vegetarian ain't it?**_


	8. Chapter 8

The mile long trip back to a hint of civilization was not an easy one to trek. They were in the mountains and being in the mountains meant there were, at least, hills to climb. Luke and Cooter would have to tackle two of them before they reached their primary destination, which was the tow truck.

As they topped the first hill Luke couldn't help but look back for one last glance at the family members he had left behind, but it was impossible as the darkness had fell just enough to cover them up. Only the trickling sound of the cool stream and the gentle, encouraging echo of Jesse's voice as he talked to Bo indicated that they were nearby.

"C'mon Luke, truck's back this way." Cooter announced, bringing Luke out of his thoughts as he pointed toward a wide path with a rough stump on one side and a fallen log--the remains of the tree the stump had once supported—on the other.

"No Cooter, we didn't come through there." Luke replied.

"Yes we did, I remember the path specifically."

"But we couldn't have, we came in from the east and that's goin' west."

"Trust me Luke, you's in such a panic tryin' to find Bo that you didn't look where you's goin'. I thought it best somebody keep an eye on where we were so when it was time to find our way out, we could."

"I ain't got time to argue with you." Luke replied, turning in the opposite direction from where Cooter pointed, leaving the mechanic with no choice but to follow him. "Me 'nd Bo's been in these hills dozens of times huntin'. I know 'em enough to realize where I am….in the daylight, anyway."

"I'm tellin' ya Luke, it's this way!" Cooter insisted.

"Either you're comin' with me or you're not." Luke replied, continuing on his path.

"Fine. I'm not!" Cooter replied, certain he was right and every bit determined to get Bo the help he needed as Luke was.

Cooter turned in his own direction, too worried about Bo to think much about how stubborn Luke was. But their separate paths didn't stay separate for long.

No sooner had they gone down the opposite side of the hill that Cooter heard a sharp yelp followed by a thud somewhere in the vicinity of where Luke had to have gone. Making his way through the forest in what was left of the evening light, he called Luke's name, commanding him to keep yelling once he had responded.

"Careful Cooter, I'm in some kinda pit!" Luke exclaimed in warning as Cooter neared him.

Instinctively Cooter dropped to the ground and assumed an army crawl as he continued closer to Luke's voice. Soon, he felt the absence of earth as he felt the pit in front of him.

"You okay, Luke?"

"Help me outta here!" Luke pleaded, reaching for Cooter's outstretched arms. "Ain't no tellin' what's living in this thing."

Soon Cooter had grasped Luke's hands and was hoisting him out of the pit. Once Luke was out in the open, he rolled over and attempted to stand up. Instead, he almost collapsed.

"What is it?" Cooter asked in concern, managing to catch his friend as he fell.

"Dang it!" Luke muttered, attempting—and failing—to stand on a bad foot again.

"Don't tell me you busted your ankle." Cooter commanded.

"What else can go wrong today?" Luke muttered, confirming Cooter's theory.

No sooner had he spoke the words than a bright flash of light was followed by a rumble of thunder….then heavy raindrops.

"You had to ask." Cooter replied. "C'mon. Let's get outta here."

"No Cooter." Luke replied, removing the mechanic's arm from around his shoulders. "Just let me be. Go on to town and get Bo some help. We can't waste any time."

Despite the situation, Cooter couldn't stand to think of leaving his best friend injured and alone in a dark forest during a thunderstorm. But at the same time he realized it was pointless to argue, not only because arguing wasted time, but because they both knew that this was what Cooter had to do.

Cooter patted him on the shoulder and turned in the direction of his tow truck. After only two steps, the darkness and the rain had swallowed him up. Luke was left to himself to distinguish between the sound of his heavy footprints on some leaves and the sounds of raindrops as they fell against others.

Luke managed to pull himself up. With some slight hopping, he attempted to at least make his way back to Bo and Jesse. However it wasn't long before he realized that even his finest hopping skills would not assist him in getting back over the hill that now lay between him and the other members of his family. In frustration, he collapsed to the ground again.

As the heart of the thunderstorm came overhead, several lightning flashes allowed Luke to look around. He was surrounded by trees that were occasionally broken up by rocky boulders that were permanently implanted into the sides of the mountains. It was when he was looking over his left shoulder that he noticed something interesting. It took a couple more lightning flashes for him to be sure that he had seen what he thought he had. But eventually the storm's light had proved it. Yes, there was a sizeable crevice between two of the boulders.

Getting back to his feet, Luke used his strength to hop to the crevice. It was a relatively short and exhausting journey, but when he reached his destination he was rewarded in the way he had hoped. It wasn't just a crevice, it was a cave.

Hopping just inside, Luke collapsed to the floor, uttering a rare curse word when he caught his bad ankle the wrong way, inflicting further pain. He then reached down and gingerly removed his boot. Flinging the boot a couple of feet away, he then lay back against the cave wall and attempted to catch his breath.

But he didn't rest for long.

Not after another lightning flash revealed something large and furry coming toward him!

**_And to think ole' Luke thought he's done with bad luck after he'd hurt his ankle._**


	9. Chapter 9

Instinctively Luke put his hands to the ground and attempted to push himself into a standing position. He was so busy trying to get away from whatever he had seen that he hadn't even noticed the drenching he had received had gifted him with a shivering chill.

"You in bad shape."

Shocked at having heard those words come out of the darkness, Luke froze up and wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him. Although he didn't believe in ghosts, hearing such a voice in a dark cave during a nighttime thunderstorm would test even the most adamant skeptics.

Next Luke heard the sound of a striking match and saw a brief bright light that became a steady small flame. Moments later the match was used to light a lantern before the fire was promptly shook out of it.

Luke sat in a somewhat defensive position, wondering if what he was seeing was real as water dripped down his face from his wet hair. But it didn't take long for him to decide it was real, not after the man had hung the lantern on the cave wall and commenced to take off his bearskin coat before wrapping it around Luke.

"This help you get warm."

"Um…yeah….yeah thank you.." Luke nodded, using a hand to slick the hair on the top of his head back, preventing further drips. He then clinched the furry coat around him as he took in what he was seeing.

The old man sat on his knees in front of Luke, appearing to study him as intently as he was being studied. For Luke, it was as if he was in some sort of twisted time warp.

The man happened to be a native American….. a Cherokee, Luke assumed. It wasn't just obvious in the facial features that identified him as such, but in the way he was dressed. While he wore boots and jeans that were not dissimilar to those Luke himself wore, his shirt and the turban style wrapping of the historical Cherokee that he wore on his head further confirmed his identity. Not to mention the origins of his coat that was now wrapped around Luke's shoulders.

"Why young man like you out in woods all alone on night like tonight?" The Cherokee asked.

"I came out to find my cousin and found him sick. Busted my ankle falling into a pit on my way to get him some help."

"Your cousin? Sick? Out in this weather?" The Cherokee asked.

"Yeah. Left him with my uncle just over the hill on Jack's River. He's running a high fever and we kept him in the water to keep it under control."

"Why he sick? Injured?"

"No, he ate some bad meat last night. Whole lot of his friends who ate the bad meat are at the hospital, dying."

"Bad meat." The Cherokee replied before he got up and looked out of the cave, concentrating on the hard rain that appeared in the flashes of lightning. "Cold summer rain." He then commented.

Before Luke could respond, the Cherokee was gone.

Luke blinked a couple of times. The Cherokee had disappeared so quickly that Luke began to wonder if he had even been there to begin with or if his mind had been playing tricks on him. But when he saw the lantern on the wall and felt the black fur on the bearskin coat he wore, he knew that he was not imagining things.

Luke had no idea where the Cherokee had gone or a real understanding of his unfamiliar surroundings. Unable to do much more than sit against the wall, he brought his ankle forward and began to massage it, praying that by some miracle Cooter might already be on his way back with help for Bo.

That prayer seemed to have been answered fifteen minutes later when, amongst the sounds of the rain outside, were hurried footsteps and his uncle's voice. The voice was loud and commanding but distanced, making his words undistinguishable. "Hurry. Get him to the hospital." Luke whispered aloud, pleading to Bo's rescuers. Good ole Cooter. He hadn't wasted any time.

Luke listened, waiting for the sounds to fade into the distance and leave only the rain to keep him company. But instead of hearing them fade away, he heard them coming closer.

"No Cooter, forget about me!" Luke muttered, insisting that Bo's care was more important than a rescue plan for him. Besides, he was sure that the chances of any rescuer being able to quickly located him in a dark cave on a night like tonight were pretty slim, even if he was just a few feet from where Cooter had originally left him.

"I said leave him be!" He heard Jesse saying as the footsteps continued to get closer. "Put him down! Can't you hear?"

Moments later Luke saw the men entered the cave. In the faint light, he watched as the Cherokee calmly stepped over him as he continued into the cave. Before he had gone beyond the scope of the lantern light, Luke was surprised to see Bo, apparently unconscious, dangling over his shoulder.

Before he had the chance to react, he felt a painful kick against his leg before Jesse tripped over top of him.

"Uncle Jesse! Are you alright?" Luke asked, afraid his uncle had injured his hands when he had used them to catch himself.

"Luke!" Jesse exclaimed in genuine surprise. "I didn't see you. How is it that you're here?" He asked, standing up before offering Luke a hand.

"Never mind about that. What's he doing with Bo?"

"I don't know. I's over with Bo at the river and he come outta the dark and snatched him up and started walkin' without even sayin' a word."

"Then let's go find out." Luke replied, wrapping an arm around his uncle in an effort to be assisted into the dark cave. Jesse realized why when he saw the way Luke was favoring his ankle.

Jesse took the lantern from the wall and began walking into the cave, assisting Luke as he went forward. "Man's got to be crazy bringin' Bo in here. I didn't worry about him too much in the rain…..it was a pretty cold rain…..but now that he's out his fever's bound to start goin' back up."

Both of the men yelled out for Bo, but the only responses they got were the sound of drips and the echoes of their own voices.

At least that's the way it was for a couple of minutes. Soon they heard the Cherokee talking as Bo was moaning. As they pressed forward, they could see another light ahead.

Soon they arrived at a wide area of the cave. To their amazement, this area had elements of a home. Against one wall was a door less, weathered cupboard that held a variety of dishes and cups. Next to it was another cupboard loaded with canned foods and what appeared to be spice jars. There was also an old trunk, a stray shirt sleeve that had been caught between the trunk and the lid indicating that it was used for clothing storage.

Away from the furniture, in the middle of the area, was a dying fire that looked as if it had been burning awhile. Over that fire, to their amazement, was a black pot and a grill. And to the left of the fire, on the other side of the wall, was a cot.

That's where Bo was now.

The Cherokee was lowering him down onto the bed with one hand and holding a cup in the other. It was obvious that Bo had just been given whatever had been in the cup.

Moments later, Bo began acting very sick. Luke assumed that the absence of cool water and the introduction of a fire was a big contributing factor, and that Bo's fever must be going back up.

"You gotta get him away from there!" Luke insisted, hobbling toward the Cherokee. In response, he stood up and walked toward Luke, gently pushing him back.

"The fire, you're making him too warm!" Luke added, pushing the Cherokee's hand away. In response, he simply placed his hand right back on Luke's chest, pushing him back firmly.

As Jesse watched in amazement, it seemed as if Bo was going downhill fast. His breathing became labored and his color was terrible. As bad off as he had been out in the woods, he seemed to be much worse off in here.

It was enough to get Jesse on the move as well. But the old man wasn't a match for the towering, strong Cherokee. With his free hand, he grabbed onto Jesse's shirt and pushed him against the wall next to Luke.

"Leave boy be."

"Leave him be? Are you crazy?" Luke asked. "He's deteriorating before our very eyes!"

"Leave boy be." The Cherokee repeated.

Neither Luke nor Jesse had any intention of letting Bo be, not in his current condition. But it seemed they didn't have any choice. No matter how much they struggled, they couldn't loosen themselves from the Cherokee's grip.

In those moments, they didn't realize that they were sharing a mutual thought: Bo was dying before their very eyes, and there wasn't a dang thing they could do about it.

_**I tell you what, he might not be a hundred percent right now, but if that man let's anything happen to Bo, ole' Luke's gonna be ready to open up a big ole' can of whoop a….um….. he's gonna be pretty upset.**_


	10. Chapter 10

"Bo!"

Luke yelled his cousin's name again, even as he struggled. All he could do was to let Bo know that he was with him, even if he wasn't right by his side. If Bo was about to leave him, as he feared, he certainly didn't want him to think he was about to pass away without his loved ones there beside him.

The urgency of the situation gave Luke the surge of adrenaline needed to loosen himself from the Cherokee's grip. The Cherokee swiped his arm through empty air in an attempt to catch Luke. Unsuccessful, he let go of Jesse in an attempt to go after Luke.

"I'm goin' for help!" Jesse called out before he turned and bolted into the darkness that led to the mouth of the cave. Seeing that he had an escape artist on his hands, the Cherokee forgot about Luke and began to chase Jesse, calling for him to stop.

Luke limped toward Bo as best as he could. He was certain that the fact Bo was too warm was a contributing factor to his illness.

When he reached the cot he grabbed the blanket that covered Bo and threw it back. Grabbing onto his arm, he heaved in an attempt to get him outside.

But he didn't get very far.

Not after he was grabbed on the shoulder and turned around.

The last thing Luke remembered, before darkness overcame him, was the Cherokee's fist coming in contact with his jaw.

XXXXXXXX

"Luke?"

"Hey buddy, wake up!"

Slowly Luke came out of his fog and tried to focus on his surroundings. When his vision finally cleared he was staring into the face of Cooter Davenport.

"Uh, Cooter." Luke groaned, putting his arm out in an attempt to be assisted into a sitting position. Cooter took the cue and pulled him up.

Luke sat there a few seconds, flinching as the soreness in his jaw introduced itself. It was when he reached up to soothe that jaw that he suddenly remembered why it was sore.

"Bo." Luke whispered, looking at his friend. It was then that he became both wide-eyed and confused. He wasn't in the cave where the Cherokee had punched him out. He wasn't even at a doctor's office or hospital where he might have expected to wake up after having been unceremoniously delivered to dreamland.

Instead, he lay in the woods on a bed of damp leaves, watching as the rising sun began to clear the fog.

"How'd I get out here? Where's Bo?" Luke asked even as he stood to his feet and began to make his way back to the cave, which he saw was just a short distance away.

"Hey Lukas, slow down!" Cooter exclaimed, rushing up to catch his friend who had almost fallen thanks to the fact that his injured ankle had been forgotten.

"I ain't gonna slow down till I find out what's happened to Bo." Luke insisted, remembering how bad off his cousin had been the last time he saw him.

"Relax, just relax. He's still in the cave." Cooter assured him.

"In the cave?!" Luke exclaimed. "Why is he still in there? Why hasn't he been took to the hospital? Has everyone gone out of their minds?"

"Luke!" Cooter called out as Luke jerked himself out of the mechanic's grasp and continued to hobble inside. Feeling against the side wall, the oldest Duke Cousin continued through the pitch blackness until the familiar lights and smell of a burning campfire met him once again.

Once he reached the opening, he could see Bo. His cousin remained deathly still on the cot. Nearby, the Cherokee focused his attention on the pot over the fire, stirring the contents.

Luke immediately lunged for the Cherokee. While his biggest concern was getting Bo to the hospital where he needed, first he needed to make sure the Cherokee wasn't going to be able to stop him.

Despite his bad ankle Luke managed to make it to the Cherokee before the man even had a chance to realize what was going on. Luke plowed into him with all of his weight, sending the Cherokee's turban flying in one direction and the wooden spoon with which he had been stirring in another. But before Luke got to do much more, he felt a pair of hands on his shoulder's pulling him back.

"Lemme go Cooter!" Luke complained, struggling to get out of his friend's grasp. "We gotta get Bo to the hospital.....and we gotta make sure this guy don't stop us."

"He ain't gonna stop us from goin' nowhere." Luke received in reply.

As the Cherokee cowered Luke curled his hand into a fist, ready to deliver a knockout punch. But something made him stop.

"Bo?" Luke asked, forgetting about his mission.

Turning to look behind him, he found himself looking into the face of Bo as his cousin hovered over him, his hand on his shoulder.

Bo! Luke exclaimed, forgetting about the Cherokee and turning to grab Bo in a bear hug. Bo managed a small laugh as he patted Luke on the back before gently pushing him away. "I'm not ready for that much excitement just yet, cuz." He verified, gently pushing Luke away before he eased back onto his cot.

"But Bo you were…how? Man, you look great!" Luke exclaimed, talking a million miles a minute as he grinned and grabbed Bo's hand, smacking the back of it and squeezing it with both of his own. "Last night, seeing you here in this cave and knowin' how everybody was doin' at the hospital….I…I thought you's a goner."

"Well, when I got to feelin' real sick there by the creek yesterday, I thought I's a goner too." Bo verified, adjusting to pull the blanket around his shoulders as he sat. "But I'm not, and it's all thanks to Adahy."

"To what?" Luke asked.

"Adahy Vann." Bo replied. When he saw that his answer left Luke no more enlightened than before the response, he managed a smile. "That would be the fella ya just plowed over a second ago."

Luke's eyes widened as he turned to look at the Cherokee Indian once again. Cooter had just finished helping him to his feet before turning to collect his turban. Adahy stood there beating the dust out of his jeans with swiping smacks.

"Mr. Vann." Luke began, as Adahy accepted his hat and returned it to his head. "I owe you a huge apology."

Adahy gave Luke a stern look. "Your uncle was telling me you're a smart young man. Now, I'm not so sure. Seems to me smart young man would take into consideration his uncle not here before he takes it upon himself to attack someone. Do you not think your uncle would still be here had cousin been at death's door?"

"Well yeah, I suppose he would." Luke verified, looking both guilty and embarrassed. "But….."

Adahy held up his finger. "No buts." He explained.

As Luke stood with a mild look of shock on his face, saying nothing, Adahy's lips slowly curled into something that might be considered a grin. "You were going to defend yourself by saying you were trying to help your cousin, but you see, family….it's very important to my people. We respect our fellow man who respects and cherishes his family. I understand that you were doing what you thought you needed to do to help your cousin at the time, and I accept, nor expect, apology for that."

Luke managed a smile and, giving Bo a couple of pats, stood and walked over to Adahy and shook his hand. "Thanks for understanding, Mr. Vann."

Adahy simply nodded. "Cousin just lucky I was out here this weekend. I wasn't due to be here for two weeks yet."

Luke looked around in confusion. "You mean you don't live here?"

Adahy's look was one of mild amusement. "I have a home in Oklahoma, three bedrooms, two baths." He replied. "Not a mansion by any means, but nice, even if I do say so myself."

Luke looked slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I just looked around and assumed…….."

Adahy held his hands up. "I understand. I only return to the land of my ancestors once a year. It is a time to pay respect to them…and to gather herbs and plants from the forest. Many of us have homes in the west now, but we still rely on the healing powers and health benefits of the natural things discovered by our great grandfathers, here in our native land of the Southern Appalachians." Adahy paused a moment and closed his eyes, as if he were paying respect to the home of his forefathers. "It is a special mixture of those gatherings that lead to the healing of your cousin."

"And to a lot of the people back at the hospital as well." Cooter added. "Soon as he saw how well Bo was respondin' to Adahy's concoction, old Uncle Jesse high tailed it back to Tri-County with a big 'ole batch of it."

Luke shook his head in amazement. "Well Mr. Vann, this has been a perfect example of how you can't judge a book by it's cover. If you don't mind my asking, what all did you put into that mixture?"

"I could tell you." Adahy began, bending over to pick something up off of the floor. "But some things are better left unsaid. Let's just say that this concoction, while superb at clearing the stomach, can just as quickly turn it once all the ingredients are revealed."

And with that, Adahy spread a perfectly cut rat skin over a branch to dry. When he did so, Bo's face immediately turned green. Imagining the remnants of a rat coursing through his veins, he clasped a hand over his mouth and demonstrated a great deal of returned health as he bolted toward the mouth of the cave.

As Cooter and Luke laughed, Adahy frowned. "That's odd." He announced. "You're cousin is not as bold as I thought. It's usually the ladies who can't stand the thought of rotten mushrooms in the medicine."

And that's how Bo Duke survived the Benson Barbecue.

Ole Jesse' made it to the hospital with that medicine just in time to save a whole bunch of his friends. When they all began to sing his praises, he made sure they all knew that it was Adahy Vann who had saved them. And while Hazzard County mourned the few friends and neighbors they had lost, they all knew it coulda been a whole lot worse, and were grateful that a cure had been found.

Eventually Doc Appleby learned that the source of the bovine illnesses was a batch of bad feed that many of the Hazzard folk had bought on the cheap. Needless to say, it all came together to provide a good amount of fuel for a big bonfire.

As for Adahy, he became the town hero and a new friend of the Duke family. Before he returned to Oklahoma, Jesse invited him for dinner but was surprised himself when Adahy offered to cook one of his native dishes for the family to experiment. Bo was much relieved to find out that the dish contained neither rats nor rotten mushrooms, for that matter.

When all was said and done, there was only one thing left for Bo and Luke to do: finish that boar hunting trip for the widow Schneider. I don't know why, but I have this strange feeling that Ms. Schneider might have a special liking for Bo.

**The End.**


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